Trousers stretcher and press combined.



H. M. MILLER & H. H. NIEMANN.

v TROUSERS STRETCHER AND PRESS COMBINED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7.1912.

1 ,251,402. Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. MILLER AND HENRY H. NIEMANN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

TROUSERS s'rnn'ronnn AND ranss COMBINED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

App1ieation fi1ez1 July 7, 1917. Serial No. 179,192.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY M. MILLER andHENRY H. NIEMANN, citizens of the United States, residing at Fairfield,in the county of J etferson. and State of Iowa, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Trousers Stretchers and Presses Combined;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will onable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in trousers stretcher and presscombined.

The object of the invention is to provide a device in which is adaptedto be placed trousers and they are so arranged therein as to be held intheir creases, thus obviating the necessity of pressing the trouserswith heated irons or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trousers stretcher andpress of this character, which embodies a relatively stationary memberand a relatively movable member, the movable member being pivotallysecured to the stationary member, each of the members provided on theiropposing faces with fabric stretching or pressing means whereby when themembers are forced toward one another, the fabric stretching means willbe moved laterally from the opposite sides of the seams ofthe trousersto a taut position, thus removing the creases and wrinkles from thetrousers and holding them in a pressed and smooth condition.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a relativelystationary clamping member to which is pivotally or hingedly secured, arelatively movable pressing member, and means carried by said membersfor cooperation with one another for holding them in engagement with oneanother.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a trousersstretcher and press combined, which is provided with a relativelystationary member to which is hingedly or pivotally secured, arelatively movable member, each of the members provided with a flexiblepressing means, which means are adapted to be held taut by normallybowed springs, which are connected thereto and urge the flexiblepressing means outwardly laterally in both directions to remove thecreases from trousers arranged between the opposing faces of thepressing means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple andconvenient effective means for preserving the shape and appear ance oftrousers when not being worn for excluding them from dust during suchtime and increasing the wear of the same by eliminating much of the needfor hot iron pressing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracter, which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensivein construction, and one that can be manufactured and sold at a lowcost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the trousers stretcher and pressas made in accordance with our invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view showing the trousers stretcher andpress in open position, i

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the trousersstretcher and press in closed position with the trousers arrangedtherein.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the trousersstretcher and press combined as made in accordance with this invention.The trousers stretcher and press combined comprises in its construction,a relatively stationary member 2, while the numeral 3 designates arelatively movable member. The relatively movable member is adapted tobe urged into clamping engagement with the relatively stationary memberwhen assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The stationary member consists of a plurality of relatively spacedsubstantially U- shaped members 2, the webs of which are bowed or offsetupwardly as at 3 to provide a substantially horizontal medial portion.One leg of each of the U-shaped members terminates into a latch keeper4, while Patented Dec. 25, 191 *7.

the other leg terminates into a hinged barconvex surface is inengagement with the web portions of the U-shaped members 2, thus itsarms will curve upwardly and outwardlv in opposite directions, asclearly shown in Fig. 2.

A retaining casing 8 is secured as at 9 to the upper surface of thebowed spring 6 adjacent each end thereof and has one edge extendingbeyond the ends of the bowed spring and bent back upon themselves as at10. The inner edges of the casing 8 are bent back upon themselves as at11 to provide spacing flanges.

A stretching fabric 12 has one edge secured in the bent back portion 10of the retaining casin 8 as at 18, it being understood that it issecured therein in any suitable manner. The retaining casings 8 aresecured longitudinally with relation to the spaced members 2, thusrigidly connecting the members in spaced relation to one another and ata spaced distance apart. The members 2 are of different sizes tocompensate for the larger and smaller ends of the trousers, which areadapted to be placed upon the upper side of the fabric 12, the purposeof which will be hereinafter more fully described.

A pressure board 13 is formed of any suitable material such as metal orthe like and tapers from one end to the other and is of substantiallythe same width as the bowed spring 6 and it has its longitudinal sideedges offset as at 1% to permit them to be slidably fitted or arrangedunder the bent back flanges 11 of the retaining casings 8 as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3. The pres sure plates are provided centrally oftheir ends or edges along the longitudinal axis with an offset portion15, which is adapted to receive the of a pair of trousers therein whenthe bowed springs are expanded, due to the clamping action of the uppermember thereon, it being understood that when the clamping action is setup between the movable and stationary members that the bowed springswill normally urge the casings outwardly, thus stretching the fabricstretching material laterally from opposite sides of the seams of thetrousers and remove the wrinkles and creases therefrom.

The relatively movable member?) consists of a plurality of substantiallyinverted U- shaped members 16, which have their web portions bowedinwardly to provide a substantially horizontal portion 17, to which issecured intermediate the ends thereof, the bowed springs 18. The bowedsprings 18 have their convex surfaces in engagement with the horizontalportion 17 of the substantially U-shaped members 16 as clearly shown inFig. 2.

A pair of relatively spaced longitudinally extending retaining casings19 are secured as at 20 to the opposite oifset ends and on the innersides of the bowed springs 18, and the edges of the retaining casings 20extend beyond the ends of the bowed springs 18 and are curved back uponthemselves as at 21 and have secured therein, the side edges of thestretching fabric 22. The retaining casings 19 are secured. described tothe bowed springs which bowed springs are secured as at 2st to theportion 1? of the U-shaped members 3, thus a rigid connection betweenthe U-shaped members and bowed springs is established.

One arm of the inverted U-shaped member 16 is hingedly secured as at 25to the hinged barrel 5 of the arm of the lower memher 2, thus hingedlyconnecting the relatively movable member with the relatively stationarymember, and the fabric 22 of the relativel movable member is in directalinement with the fabric 12 of the relatively sta tionary member thepurpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The inner ends of the retaining casings 20 of the relatively movablemember are bent back upon themselves as at 26 and have slidably arrangedthereon, the ends of the pres sure boards or plates 27 in a mannersimilar to the construction shown and described of the relativelystationary member. The longitudinal medial portion of the pressure plate27 is offset as at 28 and is adapted to aline with the offset portion 15of the pressure plate 13, thus when the trousers are placed between theopposing faces of the fabric stretching members and the movable memberis moved into clamping engagement with the stationary member, the seamsof the trousers will lie in the offset portions 15 and 28 and by virtueof the bowed springs 6 and 18, the fabric stretching members will bemoved laterally in opposite directions from the longitudinally extendingofl'set portion, thus removing the creases and wrinkles from thetrousers when the members are in clamping engagement with one another.

A latch 29 is pivotally secured as at 30 to the under side of thesubstantially U-shaped members 16 adjacent their free ends, and theselatches have locking ends 81, which are adapted to be engaged under thekeepers 4 of the arms of the U-shaped members 2 to firmly clamp theopposing faces of the fabric stretching members 12 and 22 in engagementwith one another and against apair of trousers located therein, thusholding the creases of the trousers in place and keeping them in asmooth and straight condition at all times, this process prolonging thelife of the trousers as it obviates the necessity of using heated ironsor other well known means for creasing the trousers.

The upper and lower stretching fabrics 1,2 and 22 are provided at thelarger ends thereof with a relatively enlarged fabric portion as shownat 32 to compensate for the bulky part of the trousers or the larger endthereof when the same are arranged between the opposing faces of thestretching means.

It can be readily understood tha the pressure plates 13 and 27 may ormay not be used as desired, and these plates may be readily slid underthe flanges 11 and 26 of the retaining casings 8 and 19 when desired,thus causing an even pressure against the trousers when the fabrics l2and 2 are in clamping engagement with one another; thus it will be seenthat the trousers will be held in a smooth and creased position at alltimes when the members are in clamping engagement with one another.

In operation, the movable member is swung into the open position asshown in Fig. 2. The trousers are laid or a ranged in their reases andare placed upon the upper surface of the fabric stretching member 12 ofthe relatively stationary member. The upper member is then forced downinto engagement with the trousers, forcing the seams into the offsetportions 15 and 28 of the pressure plates 13 and 27. Thus it will beseen that when the latches 29 are forced into engagement with thekeepers 4, by virtue of the bowed springs 6 and 18, the fabricstretching means will be urged laterally in opposite directions from thelongitudinal seams of the trousers, thus removing all the creases andwrinkles from the trousers and holding the trousers in a smooth andclean condition at all times while in the keepers.

It is to be understood that it is only necessary to release the latchesfrom the keepers to permit the trousers to be removed when it isdesired.

It is also to be understood that a supporting hook 34 may be secured tothe relatively movable U-shaped members 16 at the medial portion thereofand on the exterior thereof to permit the device to be suspended in awardrobe, cupboard or against a wall or the like.

hat is claimed is:

1. A trousers stretcher comprising a pair of pivoted members, stretchingmeans carried by each of said members, and means for urging thestretching means laterally when the member are moved in clampingengagement with one another, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A trousers stretcher comprising a relatively stationary member, arelatively movable member hingedly connected to the stationary member,flexible stretching means carried by the opposing faces of each of themembers, means carried by each of the members and engaging the flexiblestretching members to urge them laterally in opposite directions duringthe movement of the movable and stationary members in clampingengagement with one another.

3. A trousers stretcher comprising a relameans connected to each of themembers andto the fabric, causing the fabric to be drawn taut when themembers arein clamping engagement with one another, as and forthcpurposespecified. V

A. trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relativelystationary member, a relatively movable member hingedly connected to thestationary member, bowed springs rigidly secured to each of the members,retaining casings carried by the springs, fabric stretching memberssecured to the casings, and means for holding the fabric stretchingmembers in engagement with one another when the relatively movablemember is forced in the direction of the relatively stationary member,as and for the purpose specified.

6. A trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relativelystationary member including a plurality of relatively spaced U-shapedmembers, a relatively movable member comprising a plurality ofrelatively spaced substantially inverted U- shaped members, certain armsof the sta tionary member terminating in barrels and the arms of themovable member hingedly connected to said barrels, the opposite arms ofthe stationary member terminating in keepers, latches carried by thearms of the relatively movable member to removably engage the keeper forholding the members in clamping engagement with one another, andflexible stretching means carried by said members.

7. A trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relativelystationary member, a relatively movable member, said movable memberhingedly connected to the stationary member, keepers carried by thestationary member, latches carried by the movable member for engagingthe keepers, springs carried by each of the member's, retaining casingscarried by the springs, stretching fabric carried by the casings,pressure plates carried by the casings, and said latches adapted toengage the keepers when the movable member is forced into clampingengagement with the stationary member, as and for the purpose specified.

8. A trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relativelystationary member including a plurality of relatively spaced U-shapedmembers, bowed springs secured at the medial portions of the U- shapedmembers, casings secured to the opposite ends of the springs, arelatively movable member hingedly connected to one arm of thestationary member, bowed springs secured to the movable member, casingscarried by the springs, fabric stretching cloth secured to each of thecasings of the relatively stationary member and movable member, meanscarried by the movable member adapted to engage the terminals of thearms of the U-shaped members of the stationary member for holding thestretching cloths in clamping engagement with one another, as and forthe purpose specified.

9. A trousers stretcher and press combined including a relativelystationary member, a relatively movable member pivotally and hingedlyconnected to the stationary member, bowed springs carried by thestationary member and movable member, longitudinally extending casingssecured to the ends of the bowed springs, fabric stretching clothssecured by the side edges to the outer ends of the casings of each ofthe members, pressure plates slidably engaging the inner ends of thecasings, keepers carried by the stationary member, latches pivotallysecured to the movable member, said latches adapted to engage thekeepers for holding the fabric cloth of the movable member into clampingengagement with the fabric stretching cloth of the stationary member, asand for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY M. MILLER. HENRY H. NIEMANN.

Witnesses M. A. R. KELLEY, E. J. SIMoNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

